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Original poster

Portsmouth harbour…. Mary Rose or HMS victory for kids?

57 replies

Reallyimeanreally2022 · 12/10/2021 08:10

Flying visit to Portsmouth with two children 11 and 8

Never been to Portsmouth but thought the harbour looks brilliant

Both children love history and exploring

Which would you recommend? Or do I splurge and do both?

Many thanks

OP posts:
TroysMammy · 12/10/2021 08:12

If I remember you can go onto the Victory. The Mary Rose is in bits so more visual.

squashyhat · 12/10/2021 08:16

I recommend HMS Warrior over the Mary Rose which requires lots iof imagination to understand how it would have been. Warrior has he advantage over Victory of being moored at the quayside rather than in an isolated dry dock.

BikeRunSki · 12/10/2021 08:16

Victory you can go on, Mart Rose you look at.
You can buy a ticket to visit more than 1 attraction at the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard, which is much cheaper than 2 x individual attractions.

Shirtyllama · 12/10/2021 08:20

HMS Victory because you go aboard and it's very immersive. The Mary Rose is less exciting because it's a wreck that you look at but can't get into. (It's still great but kids probably find HMS victory more interesting and fun).

If you go to the Mary Rose and you're of a certain age you will bore your kids silly by telling them that you saw it being raised from the sea on Newsround/Blue Peter and they will have no idea why this is such a big deal to you over 30 years later!

VenusInfers · 12/10/2021 08:21

I work in the Historic Dockyard and would absolutely recommend the Mary Rose if you are doing just one thing with kids. It is a FABULOUS museum. Victory is good, and nice audio guide headsets but MR beats it hands down in terms of experience.
Pop into Boathouse 4 while you’re on the site too - it’s free and has a good mezzanine mini museum. If you want to do a second paid thing on site, the harbour tours are v highly rated by visitors.

LavenderYellow · 12/10/2021 08:27

The Mary Rose has a good interactive museum, and kids can see skeletons and details of the people (and dog) who were aboard the ship. The Mary Rose also now has lit up imagery so viewers can see things going on, on the ship. It's no longer just a the pile of wood that it used to be.
The mock-up shipwreck experience is great, if they are not easily scared.
I agree with pp that the HMS Warrior is better than the Victory (ime)

HelebethH · 12/10/2021 08:29

There is also the Royal Navy Museum. Once you get past the Nelson area there are several interactive displays for the children.

ThePlantsitter · 12/10/2021 08:34

I love Portsmouth harbour. The Mary Rose is brilliant and the way they've done it (projecting film onto the wreckage) is really good. Maybe you need to help the kids get it but it's really worth it if you can. If you only have time for one do the Mary Rose but if you can get the big ticket and do everything, there is LOADS to see.

notthemum · 12/10/2021 08:39

As a pp suggested I would buy the multi ticket as works out much cheaper. Have a look on line for offers, possibly Wowcher or key in Portsmouth harbour offers. The tickets we got were valid for a year and didn't cost any more than normal. Pity if it's a flying visit though as loads to do. The Victory is a guided tour and great for adults and kids. I am only 5ft tall and in some places needed to watch my head, but it was fab. Have fun.

cloudtree · 12/10/2021 08:44

Id get the full ticket and do both but if you can only do one with kids then the victory is much more fun for them because you're actually on the ship itself which is super cool. The Mary Rose is amazing though (but probably more interesting for the adults).

claracluck1978 · 12/10/2021 08:54

We have had an annual pass for the Dockyards for years as our kids have loved coming since they were about 4 (8 now). I think you now need a seperate ticket for the Mary Rose though.

Their (and DP's) favourite is HMS Warrior but my favourite is Mary Rose.

They also enjoy the boat tour, the Boathouse, the M33. Weirdly, especially as one of my kids is named after Nelson(!) HMS Victory has left us a bit flat

Enjoy, it's a great place to visit

Original poster
Reallyimeanreally2022 · 12/10/2021 08:56

@VenusInfers

I work in the Historic Dockyard and would absolutely recommend the Mary Rose if you are doing just one thing with kids. It is a FABULOUS museum. Victory is good, and nice audio guide headsets but MR beats it hands down in terms of experience. Pop into Boathouse 4 while you’re on the site too - it’s free and has a good mezzanine mini museum. If you want to do a second paid thing on site, the harbour tours are v highly rated by visitors.
Thanks so much for input You say Mary rose but I’m concerned that visitors seem to say victory

Thoughts?
Confused!

OP posts:
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 12/10/2021 08:58

I would say Mary Rose as the presentation is so good. Yes you technically can’t go on it but they have done such a clever thing where you walk between the actual ship and reconstructions, with projections, that it feels as if you are. When we went there was a terrific Henry Viii doing talks and there is lots of interactive stuff like pulling a longbow.
Victory actually takes more imagination despite being all there.

Original poster
Reallyimeanreally2022 · 12/10/2021 08:59

How long should I reckon?

We have 3.5 hours
Enough to do Mary rose and victory?

Whilst both love history and very used to museums - we aren’t ones for hanging around and being anywhere for hours on end (that’s them AND me!). We tend to go around museums pretty briskly!

OP posts:
Saisong · 12/10/2021 08:59

I'd say HMS Warrior had more entertainment factor. My DD got travel sick in the Mary Rose exhibit - the underground feel, low lighting and salty smell triggered her disorientation.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 12/10/2021 09:01

Yes you can do 2 proper things in 3.5 hours.

Original poster
Reallyimeanreally2022 · 12/10/2021 09:06

@Saisong

I'd say HMS Warrior had more entertainment factor. My DD got travel sick in the Mary Rose exhibit - the underground feel, low lighting and salty smell triggered her disorientation.
Ah, this actually would really appeal to my two!

What a dilemma!!

OP posts:
MrsMoastyToasty · 12/10/2021 09:11

Catch the ferry over to the submarine museum on the other side of the harbour. Going into a real submarine was the highlight of the visit with DH and DS.

VenusInfers · 12/10/2021 09:11

Yes, you could just about do both in 3.5 hrs with a sandwich break in between.
MR was a separate ticket for a year or so but now all folded back into the Dockyard ticket. A year ticket IS great value and there is far too much to do in a single day.
Victory is a cool ship, but the presentation of MR is what makes it great. More to do & see and you can have a good visit without reading every single bit of info. They are v different experiences, so if you know your kids love audio guides etc, then Victory it is…

DellaPorter · 12/10/2021 09:14

Parent here with great interests in both boats/sea and Tudor history. Not been on Warrior, but I would say victory rather than Mary rose unless your kids like to go slowly reading all display boards in museums.

ThePlantsitter · 12/10/2021 09:15

Mary Rose! Mary Rose! Mary Rose! (I'm chanting like a coach full of school children can you tell?)

If you're quick museum goers you can get round both if it's not too busy. If your kids are physical people who learn/enjoy by going up and down stairs, touching canons etc the Victory might be best. If they are good at imagining themselves back in time by seeing found objects and visual recreations, the Mary Rose is best. Also they have an exciting 'airlock' to keep the wreck at the right temperature (or something) which adds to the event.

DellaPorter · 12/10/2021 09:15

You don't need to listen to the victory audio guide. Just seeing it and the signage is enough, it's very immersive just being inside it.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 12/10/2021 09:20

Mary Rose has only been this good since the redisplay a few years ago so it is possible some of the people who preferred Victory saw the Mary Rose when it was not quite as good as it is now iyswim.

Agree the harbour tours, Warrior and submarine are also great. I was lucky enough to get to go twice in a year so we got full value from our ticket and saw everything. I did the Mary Rose twice though as I loved it so much!
We also had a really great experience being told about a helicopter because the staff member was just so good. Dh is a military history geek and dd and I are totally uninterested in military hardware but he managed to communicate things that were of interest to all of us. The whole place is splendid.

Original poster
Reallyimeanreally2022 · 12/10/2021 09:31

@VenusInfers

Yes, you could just about do both in 3.5 hrs with a sandwich break in between. MR was a separate ticket for a year or so but now all folded back into the Dockyard ticket. A year ticket IS great value and there is far too much to do in a single day. Victory is a cool ship, but the presentation of MR is what makes it great. More to do & see and you can have a good visit without reading every single bit of info. They are v different experiences, so if you know your kids love audio guides etc, then Victory it is…
No way to audio guides They want to talk and dis has throughout.

So I think Mary rose it is based on that

An annual ticket is pointless for us. Far from local

Thanks all so much

OP posts:
nettytree · 12/10/2021 09:40

The victory always makes me feel like I've got sea sickness. Both are great tho. Use your tesco vouchers to get cheaper tickets.

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